


through the valley of the shadow of death

by astronofille



Series: Ascension - DnD [1]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Original Work
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Drabble, Dungeons & Dragons Campaign, Gen, Goth Elf Rights, Heavy Angst, Some people become assassins and lose all sense of personal identity to cope and thats VALID, Wrote this when my dnd character (almost) permadied and turns out it was Good Shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:15:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22766134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astronofille/pseuds/astronofille
Summary: A hand closes around Candide's throat, burning, crushing. His life (if it can even be called that) flashes before his eyes.
Series: Ascension - DnD [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1636807
Kudos: 4





	through the valley of the shadow of death

The fight has just begun, and yet it has already gone on for too long. The adventuring party scattered almost immediately, pinned down by various scuffles with corpses revived by Corius, the necromancer they face. Soon, Candide loses track of everyone but the enemy, blocking columns of flame with varying success while trying to stay in attack range. His opponents seem to multiply every time he shifts his gaze.

Candide attacks viciously, ignoring the tight sting of burns across his forearms as his rapier sinks deep into flesh and the unfortunate squish as he clambers over a pile of decaying bodies. Taught with adrenaline, he dashes further into the room, frantic from too-many pairs of eyes trained intently on him.

As he backs away, he hears shouting and the stressed jokes of his current companions as they continue the battle, though Corius’s focus remains doggedly fixed on Candide. The man stalks forward, eyes glinting red through the flickers of flame, mouth set in a vicious slash. 

Distance closes in. Candide flinches back as a burning hand reaches inexorably towards him. White-hot pain erupts across his neck, squeezing, crushing, he sputters for breath—

“Now, fall.”

He sees—

A small child watches as a mother on the streets ruffles the hair of her son and rests her hand lovingly on his cheek. The child glances at his own parents, their distant hands, and wonders. 

He sees—

An elf boy stares down at the cold, bloody bodies of his parents and thinks that he should feel something other than indifference. He grabs the two worn silver rings from the bodies’ stiff fingers and slips them both onto his right hand. 

He sees—

A teen stares down at his shaking hands, covered in his own hot blood, as the footsteps of those he considered his partners in crime fade behind him. Gasping for air, he presses down once more against his wound and curls around himself, waiting for the end. 

He sees—

A killer takes his time wiping off his dagger from his most recent kill before he turns, eyebrow raised, to the small figure hiding in the corner of the room. A soft chuckle, and a halfling woman steps into the pale moonlight. “You’ve got promise, drifter,” she says. He stares at her perfectly stony face, and considers. 

He sees—

A smile painted thick onto a mask, laughs easily exchanged between almost strangers, a pat on the back, rolled eyes and reluctant grins at out-of-place sermons, sweaty fingers clasping his as he heaves into the dark. 

He sees—

a hand and a burning red grin. 

He sees white. 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading this lil drabble about my good emo elf boy! will hopefully write some more for him when inspiration hits. 
> 
> title comes from "through the valley" by shawn james


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